Abu Dhabi to Offer Dh2.4b Grant to Yemen

The government of Abu Dhabi will offer the Yemeni government a Dh2.385b grant to finance sustainable socio-economic development projects to be managed by the ADFD.

Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister and Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and his Yemeni counterpart Abu Bakr Al Karbi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development grant in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

The MoU covers the financing of 14 vital projects in different regions of Yemen. ADFD will solely manage 12 projects and will cooperate with the UAE Ministry of Interior to execute a smart card project. The UAE Red Crescent will manage the reconstruction project of buildings damaged as a result of floods in the Hadramout Valley.

Commenting on the initiative, Shaikh Abdullah said, “The grant reflects our commitment to the sustainable development of Yemen, in line with our outlook of driving growth, both at the regional and global levels. The support contributes to ensuring the long-run stability of the diverse communities in the region, which is interlinked to socio-economic prosperity.”

He highlighted the UAE’s strong and deep-rooted ties with Yemen at several levels, and stressed on improving these relations for mutual benefit. He said ADFD had played a pivotal role in driving sustainable development in Yemen, as well as in 53 countries since the organization was founded in 1971 for the larger support of developing countries around the world.

Al Karbi reaffirmed the strength of Yemen’s relations with the UAE. He thanked the Emirati Leadership for launching several developmental initiatives in his country, which have provided a solid platform for energizing the local economy by driving core sectors such as healthcare, education, housing, energy and infrastructure, among others.

As per the MoU, ADFD will supervise crucial infrastructure development projects in transport, energy, water, sewage, healthcare, education, culture and social development. Key among these is the construction of the Sad Hassan Dam, valued up to Dh275 million and with a capacity of 20 million cubic metres.

The scope of work includes constructing the dam’s concrete wall, pools of water, energy facilities and main irrigation channels.

The MoU sets apart approximately Dh588 million to support energy projects in Yemen including transmission lines, transformers, power stations and distribution of power from Ma’reb station as well as Gas Power Station Project with 300 mega watt to meet the growing demand for power in Yemen.